27.9.10

Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman on Ginsberg, literature and obscenity

James Franco, Rob Epstein, and Jeffrey Friedman on the set of Howl

D. A. Powell goes behind the scenes of the new film, Howl, and asks Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman why they wanted to bring Allen Ginsberg's life and work to the screen:

D. A. Powell: The core debate for the trial is obscenity. You might have easily played down the “offensive” language, yet you neither shy away from the potentially objectionable language nor overuse it.

Rob Epstein: The whole notion of obscenity is so quaint now. We live in an era in which nothing is held back. But it’s paradoxical. Because even though there’s such exposure to everything all the time, there’s also a lack of authenticity. And Allen’s whole point was that if you were going to talk about sex, you needed to be authentic. [Read more]